If his sore right elbow cooperates, Jake Peavy still plans on making a start for the 2009 White Sox.

After shagging fly balls and throwing a few balls before the White Sox faced the Cubs today at Wrigley Field, Peavy said he still believes a major-league start is a real possibility. A major test will come Friday at U.S. Cellular Field, where Peavy hopes to step on a mound and resume pitching for the first time since his elbow forced him out of a minor-league rehabilitation start Saturday.

''I want to get out there,'' Peavy said. ''This has been frustrating for me just coming to the field for a month now, just spending a countless number of hours in the training room, it gets old and it gets frustrating. I knew this coming in that it was going to be a long road coming back and we were hoping for no setbacks and got one in a way that no one expected. It wasn't an ankle, it wasn't an arm issue, I got hit with a line drive in a terrible place on my arm -- right in the crease of your elbow. It's certainly been tough for me.

''I hope I can get out there. Who knows how good I will be? But it will be fun to be out there and compete. I'm close but I'm far. I think I'm close to returning, but I think I'm far from where I want to be and where I'm used to being.''